Hogwarts Was Complete Again
by LavernaG
Summary: Headmistress Minerva McGonagall meets the new Hogwarts' Ghost — none other than the ever-cheerful and mischievous Fred Weasley. Her immediate delight is followed by a small family reunion. One-shot.


_**I shed a lot of tears writing this, because they are just such amazing characters. I hope this story will ease the heartache of those who are still grieving for Fred's passing. I know it did mine.**_

 _ **Enjoy. And please leave a review if you were touched.**_

* * *

Minerva McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hurried down the moving staircases and through the third-floor corridor. She passed some fourth-year Raverclaws and Gryffindors on her way but didn't stop to ask them about the incident. Albus Dumbledore's portrait had told her just a few minutes ago that there had been rather a large explosion in the Charms classroom, and although Minerva could have left professor Flitwick to deal with it, she wanted to inspect the matter herself.

She had been the Deputy Headmistress for so long and had had to deal with the students' pranks far more often than the Charms professor. And he had his next class to prepare. Minerva was never going to be a Headmistress quite like Dumbledore had been. She couldn't stand sitting around in her office and not keeping a close eye on her students, so for the time being she kept on teaching her classes although she had hired a new professor to teach the younger students. This way she still felt alive and present in the students' lives.

Minerva came to a halt at the Charms classroom's entrance, wondering where the doors had gone. Sensing the smell of something burning, she headed inside the room, looking around the place. There were black spots on the walls as if there had been a row of small explosions. A few half-burnt parchments were scattered across the floor. There were books and quills lying around as if a whirlwind had swept through the room.

Minerva shook her head in annoyance. April Fools' Day had been yesterday, the witch had hoped that they had had enough pranks for the week. The Great Hall and quite a few corridors were still being repaired since the day before. The children should have earned back almost all the points they had lost because of the pranks for their creativity. Of course, Minerva had seen worse.

She was wondering briefly who had been mistaken with the day of the pranks when she noticed Peeves casually somersaulting past the classroom. Her heavy robes billowing around her, Minerva hurried to the corridor.

"Peeves!" she called after the poltergeist. Peeves turned around, hovering high above the floor, and grinned in the professor's direction. "Did you do this?" Minerva asked, gesturing towards the Charms classroom.

Peeves stuck his tongue out and started to somersault towards her. "Don't know what you mean, Minnie!" he said in a singsong voice. He somersaulted right past Minerva and to the middle of the classroom, only then looking around at the damage done there. "Ooh! The children have done it now! Old Flitwick's gonna be pissed off!" he giggled and threw two water-filled balloons at the walls.

"Do you mean... You didn't do it?" asked Minerva in slight surprise, not moving from her spot in the doorway. She had been certain she'd found the right culprit.

"I wish I had!" replied the poltergeist, throwing one more balloon at the floor and somersaulting away through the wet wall. This balloon was not filled with water.

Minerva couldn't resist a sigh when she wiped a stain of blue paint off her nose. Peeves had been rather modest this April Fools' Day and there didn't seem to be any reason for him to lie. But Minerva was positive that a student was not responsible for the trouble at hand. Or else Filius would have told her about it.

Just as she was about to raise her wand in order to start to get rid of the mess before Mr. Filch found out and insisted he'd do it himself, an orange flash flew past Minerva in the corridor, and she turned around hastily. This something that had flown past her had come to a stop at the end of the hall, laughing with boyish mirth. Minerva blinked her eyes repeatedly. She couldn't believe it.

The ginger-haired young man flew back to the Headmistress, leaving a crackling line of fireworks behind his broom. "Morning, professor!" he called happily, flashing the old witch a bright smile.

Minerva knew that voice and that smile all too well, although she wasn't used to not seeing it double. "Mr. Weasley!" she said in surprise, bringing her hand to her chest in order to steady her racing heart. She studied the boy's face in amazement. He was younger than when she had last seen him, and he was just slightly transparent.

Fred Weasley nodded eagerly, throwing some fireworks up to the ceiling where they exploded, and for a moment red and gold sparkles were raining down upon the two Gryffindors.

Minerva stared in amazement at her former student. Despite Fred and his twin brother always causing trouble at school, Minerva had grown very fond of the boys. It had hurt her more than she could have possibly said when Fred had passed away; and it was horrible to see the other twin so unhappy all the time. Unconsciously Minerva extended a hand towards the boy, jumping slightly when her hand passed straight through his and a wave of cold washed over her.

"Now, that's rude, professor," laughed Fred merrily. "Nearly Headless Nick would have been deeply offended by something like this."

"You're a ghost," Minerva whispered, shocked, pulling her hand back.

"Hogwarts' very own," agreed Fred. "Good luck keeping this place under control. I won't make it easy for you," he said, flying up high into the air again. "That's a nice hat by the way!" he added before flying off down the corridor and out of the witch's sight.

Minerva stood still, staring after the newest Hogwarts ghost for a couple of minutes. She would have smiled, had she not been so astounded. Sure, this meant a lot of trouble for her in keeping order at the school. But that didn't worry Minerva a bit. In her heart she was overjoyed to see this young prankster again.

* * *

Minerva felt something warm touch her heart as she finished her letter and gave it to her owl. Watching the bird take off towards Hogsmeade, the witch ran through what she had written in her mind for about the twentieth time.

 _Dear Mr. Weasley,_

 _If it is not of any inconvenience to you, I'd be happy if you visited my office tomorrow afternoon at three. There is something I need to discuss with you._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _P.S. Don't bring any of your joke products, we have enough of them about the castle._

"You were right," Albus's voice brought Minerva out of her thoughts. She glanced up at the painting where the old wizard took his seat again. "The boy looks as fit to prank someone as ever."

"Yes, well, that's only going to cost me more headache and Argus more working hours," replied Minerva crisply, returning to her paperwork. But the light-hearted chuckle from the former Headmaster made her look up at the painting again.

"Oh, Minerva," said Albus, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Don't try to tell me you're not happy he's back, because I can see right through you." Considering it for a moment, he added, "As a matter of fact, I can see right through him as well." And he giggled again.

Minerva shook her head at the silly old man. "I admit that I like the boy, but that doesn't change my statement that he is going to cause more trouble now than he did in his school years," she said, barely succeeding in containing her smile. "I can't punish him anymore."

"I would say he's going to cause twice less trouble," commented Albus rather seriously.

"I wouldn't be so sure," replied Minerva, thinking of her letter to George Weasley. "I am thinking, however, that we'll have to put up with some Weasley family reunions in the future."

* * *

"Come in," the Headmistress answered the knock on her office doors. She knew who it would be, so she stood up from her chair and walked around her desk as the young ginger-haired man entered.

His face was identical to the one Minerva had seen only a day ago, yet she knew he was missing one ear. George Weasley had let his hair grow out, so that the damage on his ear could not be seen. His wide and happy smile lacked the spark it had held for the first twenty years of his life, Minerva thought.

"Afternoon, professor!" said George merrily, walking to the woman. "It's so nice to see you again," he added, and pulled the witch into a tight embrace.

Minerva returned the hug happily. "Nice to see you, too, Mr. Weasley," she replied when they pulled apart after a moment. "And I've told you it's Minerva for you." The stern professor had, through wartime and after that, become great friends with all of the Weasley children. As they were no longer her students she didn't need to look so stern and professional around them anymore. Although that was not going to apply to the next generation of troublemakers on the way.

George turned to greet the Headmaster of his time at Hogwarts, but decided otherwise when he saw the old wizard dozing off in his portrait.

Minerva smiled as she looked at George, marvelling for the thousandth time how alike he and his brother looked. Since she had fallen silent George noticed her watching him. "Don't worry, I've come unharmed," he said, turning out his robe's pockets that were usually full of joke-products.

"I wasn't thinking about that," Minerva explained, a little bit embarrassed at having been caught watching the man so closely.

Fawkes chirped from his perch next to the grand desk and looked up at the Weasley inquisitively. George stepped to the bird, taking something that Minerva couldn't see from a hidden pocket on him. "Hello, Fawkes," George said, offering what Minerva believed to be a treat to the bird. "I brought your order."

Fawkes twittered with content and Minerva chuckled, as George turned back towards her. "You said there was something you needed to discuss with me," he said. "If someone is causing trouble with one of our products then don't blame us."

Minerva registered the use of the word "us" instead of "me". "That is not really what I wanted to discuss," Minerva replied. "I hardly think you're going to stop selling your stuff if I tell you it's causing trouble at school. No, that's not why I called you here." She stopped briefly, wondering how she'd tell him the news. "I don't suppose you met any ghosts on your way to my office?"

"I met Nick and the Grey Lady," offered George in reply.

"Alright." Minerva nodded. "I think there is someone else you should meet," she said, heading for the door. "I hope we are able to find him. It's important we do." She held the door open for the young wizard.

"And why is that?"

"You'll see."

* * *

"Have you seen our new ghost?" Minerva asked an old wizard in one of the paintings near the moving staircases.

The wizard glanced at George standing discreetly behind the Headmistress, and nodded knowingly. "Causing chaos in the Tapestry Corridor," he answered helpfully.

"Thank you," Minerva replied curtly, and turned to head down the stairs. George followed her obediently.

Every one of the children they passed stared after them in awe. They all recognized the great man - one of the founders of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. George greeted the children with brilliant smiles but not once slowed his pace to sign any of the children's joke products, although many asked. He didn't want to lose sight of the hurriedly moving Headmistress.

"We haven't made any products that would turn anyone into ghosts," said George, trying to work out why the witch would want him to meet a ghost. "That's a great idea though," he added and pulled out a small notebook.

While the young man scribbled his new idea down, Minerva only smirked, imagining some fifth-year Slytherins floating around the castle transparent. And then she wondered, as she had done quite recently lately, why she would even find this amusing. She had noticed lately that she had started to enjoy having fun a lot more than she had before the war and before she became Headmistress. She hoped to Merlin that she wouldn't end up like Albus.

* * *

Turning a corner in the Tapestry Corridor, Minerva and George were greeted by a big round of red and gold fireworks. During the few seconds that the light had them blinded, Minerva stood back, already familiar with the sight that would soon unfold before them. She had to suppress a chuckle when the astonished young man beside her gasped, his facial expression comical, and uttered, "What in the wheezing wonders?"

But as the fireworks burned out and they could see the corridor before them again, George fell silent. Minerva studied his face, rather than turned to look at what the young man's eyes were fixed upon. She knew what he was seeing.

George unconsciously took a couple of steps forward, his mouth wide open with wonder, quite alike his eyes. An all too familiar ginger-haired boy flew on his broom to meet him. He knew those mischievous brown eyes, that wide smile, that face, and that heart-warming beautiful voice that now sounded sweeter than an angel's song.

"Hey there, George! Wasn't expecting to see you 'round here at Hogwarts. I haven't lost a single house point in two days, imagine that! I must be getting lazy without you here."

George stared at the ghost, amazed and shocked all the same. "Fred." One word left his lips. He reached out his hand in front of him, desperate to touch his brother, to be convinced he really was there. He could slightly see through him but not enough for it to steal away his newborn hope. But when his hand felt mere air where his eyes registered a cheek, he believed in what was true.

He did not draw back his hand for the picture was too perfect. He could see his brother, his best friend, his sunlight right there in front of him, and yet that was all he had. No warmth radiated off Fred's skin, no touch could convince George of his presence. Yet his fond and slightly amused look filled George with happiness he had never thought he could feel again. Tears stole down his cheeks freely, while his brother simply smiled at him.

Minerva held her breath, watching the scene before her. At first she had worried about the ghost saying something that unbeknownst to him would deeply hurt his heart-broken brother. But now Minerva was having trouble keeping the tears away from her own eyes. These two boys had never been meant to be separated from one another.

* * *

"Thank you, Minerva. Thank you," repeated Molly Weasley for the thousandth time, tears of joy still staining her cheeks.

"I keep telling you that I haven't done anything to deserve your gratitude, Molly," replied Minerva tiredly, carefully untangling herself from the ginger-haired woman's embrace. "I was taken by surprise just like you were."

"But he knew he would be welcome here," explained Molly with a warm smile. "My dear little Fred... You've always been so kind to him, Minerva, and don't you try to deny it! I doubt he would have come if he'd thought the Headmistress didn't want him here."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Minerva, quietly enough that the mother before her didn't hear her.

Minerva looked over to the two quiet men in her office. George was sitting in the chair beside her desk, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hands. His eyes were still glistening with tears but his lips held a happy and peaceful smile. Arthur Weasley was standing behind him, leaning against a bookshelf with his back. After having almost dragged his wife away from their son's ghost when the classes had ended and the corridors had been filled with students, he now stood there with a blissful smile on his face, completely oblivious to everything his wife was telling Minerva.

"My sweet little baby," muttered Molly absently, smiling an almost disbelieving, joyous smile. "You wouldn't mind if I came back tomorrow, would you, Minerva?" she then asked hopefully.

Minerva had a right mind to tell her that Hogwarts was, first and foremost, a school and not a family reunion space. But she could not bring herself to do it, no more than she could bring herself to feel annoyed about the new - or rather renewed - troublemaker at the school. So instead she nodded. "Of course not, Molly," she answered, finding it more difficult with each passing moment to not tear up like the woman before her. "But only if you have your emotional scenes during the classes, so that no students catch you. To them this is still a school. And if you would be able to keep him at bay, I'd be very thankful. Some of those fireworks leave really nasty burns on the walls and paintings."

* * *

Minerva McGonagall settled down into the large throne-like chair at the Head Table, the one Albus Dumbledore had sat in during his days as Headmaster, the one she had refused to replace. As per usual she scanned the students in the Great Hall briefly, checking for any sign of trouble. Despite her years of doing so every morning it was a little different.

At a hundred and two years of being on the post, Minerva was one of the longest worked Headmistresses in Hogwarts' history by now. She was getting on in her years but that did not affect her work in any way. She had stopped visibly ageing long ago and didn't look older than she had when she was eighty. She'd seen massive changes around the school during her time - thousands of students coming and going, staff and the castle changing. But some things remained the same, she thought, nodding her greeting to Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.

Right from the moment she had entered the Great Hall, Minerva had had an awful premonition. During the breakfast she kept looking around the room, hoping to spot anything that would ease her worry. There hadn't been an uninterrupted meal at Hogwarts since April Fools' Day about a hundred years ago. When the first students started scurrying off to their first classes, Minerva finally gave up hope and sighed.

The day before she had attended George Weasley's funeral. She'd met so many dear friends of hers, all of them grieving deeply for the loss of the ever-cheerful and talented wizard. Sending off fireworks into the sky in his memory, George had been laid in the ground between his twin brother and his mother.

A part of Minerva understood the situation. Fred Weasley was finally free to join his brother again, he would not keep on roaming the halls of Hogwarts now that he had a chance of reuniting with his twin. Another part of her, the heart, wished the wonderful boy would have stayed. Hogwarts would never be the same again without him.

Pondering the thoughts about the Weasleys, Minerva watched the students clear out, and distractedly wiped at the tear that had escaped her eye.

"Morning, professor."

The quiet happy voice right next to her ear made Minerva jump in surprise. She knew this voice. She turned and looked straight into those familiar brown eyes that held a mischievous glint almost as bright as the twinkle that Minerva remembered in Albus's eyes. "Fred," Minerva breathed happily.

"He's not Fred, I am!"

A second voice startled her and Minerva turned to look at the young ghost boy hovering on his broom across the table from her. The one that had spoken first went to join his brother on the other side of the table. The two of them were identical. They looked exactly like Minerva remembered them from their school years, say fifth year. Neither was missing an ear. They would forever stay children.

"Honestly, professor," said George. "It's been 122 years and you still cannot tell us apart."

"I'm sorry, boys," replied Minerva, still staring wide-eyed at the two of them.

"Not to worry," said Fred merrily.

"You'll get it right someday," added George.

The two of them turned and flew out of the room, leaving the Great Hall echoing with their laughter. Minerva allowed herself a few happy tears. Hogwarts was complete again.

 _The End_


End file.
